Hearing the sound, the crowd automatically made way. Bo Xiangzhou pulled his arm free from being linked and loosely put his arm around An Xun’s shoulder. With An Xun’s astonished gaze following him, Bo Xiangzhou led him into the center of the crowd.

Surrounded by people whose faces were highly recognizable, An Xun knew who they were but wasn’t sure of their seniority. So, whatever Bo Xiangzhou called them, he just followed suit. His expression remained calm and graceful, exuding a polite and refined aura, much like how Shen Qingrang used to be.

The only strange thing about him was his voice, which seriously didn’t match his demeanor.

An Xun couldn’t help it; he could pretend to be well-behaved, but his voice was naturally like that. He couldn’t produce the cold, crisp tone that Bo Xiangzhou seemed to want.

It seemed that just learning acting wasn’t enough. He’d have to spend money on an online voice-acting course when he got back.

Marrying into a wealthy family was so exhausting—he had to learn everything.

The Old Madam smiled kindly, the crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes fully visible. Dressed in an elegant white qipao, she radiated grace and dignity. She gently pushed aside the female omega next to her and beckoned for An Xun to sit by her side.

She looked worse off than the first time they met, but her spirits seemed much better, like she had something to look forward to in life.

The Old Madam grasped An Xun’s wrist with her thin, wrinkled hand, her palm slightly cool. Feeling the faint tremors in her hand, An Xun’s heart was filled with a complex mix of emotions as he truly felt the passage of life.

Her voice was weak but soft and warm, “Why have you gotten thinner again?”

An Xun immediately thought of Tao Nian’s two dads. They said the same thing whenever they saw him. It seemed to be a universal line from all elders when they met younger ones.

He shook his head maturely. “I haven’t gotten thinner.”

When he moved out, he hadn’t forgotten to bring his scale. He weighed himself every two weeks. The food in the Bo family was too good, and with the extra money, he had been ordering takeout left and right. He’d actually gained half a pound.

The Old Madam gently patted the back of his hand, the atmosphere extremely harmonious. “Is Xiangzhou not treating you well?”

“President Bo is very good to me.”

An Xun felt a special closeness to the Old Madam. She often texted him, asking if he had eaten or slept well, and he could genuinely feel her affection for him. So, he didn’t mind getting closer to her, and the sweetness in his tone was heartfelt.

The Old Madam chuckled. “If he’s good to you, you shouldn’t be calling him something so distant. It’s fine if you can’t change it immediately, but once you’re married, you need to change it. Always calling him ‘President Bo, President Bo,’ doesn’t sound quite right.”

An Xun felt a bit embarrassed. “Oh, I’ll keep that in mind.”

There was a fruit platter on the coffee table. The Old Madam reached for a perfectly-sized ugly tangerine, peeling it as she said, “Xiao Xun, I hope this visit didn’t interrupt your work?”

“No, it didn’t.”

“I know you’re very serious about your work. I wasn’t planning to ask you to come today because I was worried it would interfere with your job. But then Xiangzhou brought you along,” the Old Madam said, placing the peeled tangerine in his hand. “As long as it didn’t disrupt your work, I’ll feel at ease.”

Seeing that he hesitated to take it, the Old Madam said lovingly, “Go ahead, eat. Don’t worry. Everyone here will soon be like family.”

An Xun obediently responded with a slight blush on his face.

The Old Madam gently ruffled his hair, looking at him with eyes full of tender affection, almost overflowing with warmth.

An Xun put a piece of the tangerine in his mouth, feeling the temperature of his face rise. He didn’t dare look up to meet the Old Madam’s eyes. His fingers, clenched tight around his pants, relaxed and then tightened again. The Old Madam didn’t miss his subtle movements and let out a delighted chuckle.

An Xun’s face burned even hotter.

He really didn’t know how to interact with elders. The Old Madam’s warmth left him at a loss. He cast a pleading glance toward Bo Xiangzhou, who was busy talking with some family elders.

Sensing his distress, Bo Xiangzhou said, “Grandma, let me take him around to get familiar with things. He’ll come back to accompany you later.”

The Old Madam released him, her smile growing even wider. “Go ahead, nurturing your relationship is more important than anything.”

Seeing the younger generation’s happiness was all she needed to feel content.

An Xun quickly shuffled over to Bo Xiangzhou’s side, instinctively wrapping his arm around his. He was almost a head shorter than Bo Xiangzhou, and when he looked up at him, he did so without any embarrassment, completely ignoring the attention their intimate posture was drawing from those around them. The scene appeared very warm and harmonious.

Once they were out of the Old Madam’s sight, An Xun pulled away slightly but still clung to Bo Xiangzhou’s arm.

Following Bo Xiangzhou, he was introduced to the elites of Jiang City. There, he encountered An Xin’s rumored boyfriend—Cheng Song, the second son of the Cheng family.

Cheng Song had taken over the family business, while his older brother had gone into politics and was now thriving in that field.

Cheng Song patted Bo Xiangzhou’s shoulder, putting on a serious face as he asked, “President Bo, have you been busy lately?”

“Not really.” Bo Xiangzhou brushed his hand away.

“Not busy?” Cheng Song teased. “You say that, but every time I invite you out, you don’t show. Even if you’ve been swamped, you shouldn’t work yourself to death. What if you keel over?”

Bo Xiangzhou replied, “Say something nicer.”

“What nicer thing is there to say? We haven’t seen each other in over a month, and now you’re into hearing empty compliments?”

Cheng Song was about to pull out a cigarette when he noticed An Xun standing nearby with his head slightly lowered. Smoking in front of an omega didn’t seem right, especially since An Xun didn’t smoke. He quickly put the cigarette back, saying, “Aren’t you going to introduce me? You know, when I received your wedding invitation, my heart almost stopped. My phone screen cracked, and it went black on the spot. You owe me for that one, and if you don’t pay up, I’ll come knocking on your door.”

“Are you still a child?”

Cheng Song joked, “How long have we known each other? Do you not know by now? Do you really have to call me out like that?”

An Xun, who had been mentally zoning out, suddenly snapped back to attention at a certain word. His pupils dilated, and he quickly looked up, startling Cheng Song across from him.

Staring at him with dark, clear eyes, his lips were barely holding back a smile.

Cheng Song felt a bit creeped out and looked over at Bo Xiangzhou, whose gaze shifted between them. Finally, he bent down to whisper in An Xun’s ear, “What’s wrong?”

An Xun’s face turned bright yellow. “Nothing, you two keep chatting. Don’t mind me.”

He was just suspicious that they had been talking about something indecent.

What’s this talk about being small or not? Isn’t it inappropriate to discuss that in public…?

The laugh he had been holding back started bubbling up again. His brain was working overtime, and to avoid them noticing, An Xun quickly looked down at the floor.

He thought no one had noticed his smile, but Cheng Song, who was sitting diagonally across, saw the curve of his lips very clearly. His peach blossom eyes filled with confusion. “Didn’t you say your fiancé was introverted? He seems…pretty lively to me.”

“He—” Bo Xiangzhou’s tone stiffened, “He usually is introverted. Maybe…he’s not used to meeting so many people.”

Cheng Song awkwardly agreed, “Uh…oh, so that’s it.”

An Xun reined in his smile slightly. Why are they talking about me? Keep chatting! The more open the conversation, the better!

·

After having two meals at the family estate, they finally left as dusk approached.

An Xun had come empty-handed but was leaving with plenty. The car’s trunk was filled with gifts from the Old Madam, and both his wrists were weighed down with over twenty bracelets made of jade and other precious materials, so heavy that his arms were sore.

He carefully removed them and placed them on the bed, searching the room for a jewelry box. After working up a sweat, he collapsed onto the small sofa and realized a very serious problem—

He used to be broke and couldn’t afford accessories, so where would he have a jewelry box?

Slapping his thigh, An Xun immediately opened a shopping app and ordered a few large square jewelry boxes, having them sent to the estate.

These things didn’t involve his privacy, so Uncle Lin could pick them up.

He emptied one of the drawers in his bedside table, knelt down, and wiped it clean with a wet tissue. Then, he carefully placed the bracelets inside, making sure they wouldn’t get damaged.

He turned off the lights early, leaving only a small night light on. Under the dim glow, his fingers typed quickly, almost leaving afterimages.

[Gulu Gulu]: Babe, guess what? I heard some major gossip today.

The other party responded instantly.

[Nian Nian]: You know the consequences if you lie to me, right?

[Gulu Gulu]: This time it’s absolutely massive. I’m telling you, if I spill this, it’s going straight to the top of the trending list.

[Gulu Gulu]: Not just trending—this will shake the business world, the political world, and the entire upper economic circle of Jiang City.

Tao Nian boldly guessed.

[Nian Nian]: Did they change your wedding plan again? Going global with a livestream this time?

An Xun wanted to keep Tao Nian on edge, but the response wasn’t quite what he’d hoped for.

[Gulu Gulu]: Nope, the Bo family prefers to keep things low-key. Even when President Shen and President Bo got married, there was no livestream.

Tao Nian nodded in agreement. The ten-second wedding clip that circulated online had been secretly filmed by a reporter who snuck in.

[Nian Nian]: So, what is it, darling? Spill the beans already.

An Xun smiled mysteriously.

[Gulu Gulu]: Cheng Song is small.

There was a pause for a few seconds before Tao Nian’s shock could practically be felt through the screen.

An Xun counted; Tao Nian had sent thirteen question marks and nine exclamation points in total.

[Nian Nian]: Is it what I think it is?

[Gulu Gulu]: Yep.

Tao Nian, not wanting to waste time typing, called directly, his voice filled with both surprise and delight. “Oh my god, where did you hear that?”

“I heard it today when he was chatting with Bo Xiangzhou. I heard it with my own ears,” An Xun replied. “He said it himself.”

Tao Nian burst out laughing. “No wonder he changes lovers so often. I always wondered why he still hasn’t settled down. I thought he had been hurt by an omega and didn’t believe in love anymore. Turns out it’s because he’s not…capable.”

After listening to Tao Nian laugh for three whole minutes, An Xun quietly said, “Don’t go spreading this, okay? I only told you.”

Tao Nian thumped his chest, “Trust me. I wouldn’t do you dirty.”

Before hanging up, he said meaningfully, “Poor An Xin.”

The room returned to silence. An Xun turned off the nightlight, buried his head in his pillow, and spent a sleepless night.

·

The past two days at work had been exhausting, thanks to the new hires giving him constant headaches. Rubbing his tired eyes, An Xun finally wrapped up his overtime and headed back to the estate. But he didn’t stop working after he got home. He quickly finished dinner, soaked in a bath, and then collapsed on his bed, scrolling through short videos. He stumbled upon a crime mystery drama that was right up his alley.

It was only twelve episodes long, each about forty-five minutes. Every episode was more intense than the last, with cases intricately connected. An Xun sped through the scenes he wasn’t interested in, fighting off sleep to finish the entire show. His eyelids were heavy, and he was too tired even to plug in his phone to charge. His hand slipped, his head tilted, and he fell asleep immediately.

He had gone to bed at five in the morning, so of course, he didn’t hear the anxious knocking on his door at eight.